At least 26 dead, 337,000 evacuated as storms hit southern China

Beijing - At least 26 people died, three were missing and some337,000 were evacuated as summer storms brought torrential rain and flash floods to much of southern China, the government said Sunday.

High winds, floods and landslides destroyed about 8,700 homes and damaged 66,000 others, affecting some 4.9 million people in nine southern provinces since June 18, the Ministry of Civil Affairs reported.

The National Meteorological Centre forecast more heavy rain in large areas of southern China Sunday and Monday.

Several dozen people perished in weather-related deaths in the region earlier this month.